Fellow UFC on FX 4 headliner Clay Guida dodged him, frustrated him and seemingly taunted him with an elusive game plan that made him nearly impossible to corral.

In the end, though, Maynard got the satisfaction of a split-decision victory in one of the more bizarre UFC main events in recent history.

The five-round non-title fight headlined UFC on FX 4 at Revel Atlantic City in New Jersey. It aired on the FX-televised main card following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

Tempers were already tested well before the fight. In the weeks prior to UFC on FX 4, Maynard’s camp filed a complaint with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. They wanted Guida’s trademark locks, which flail about like mini-whips due to his herky-jerky footwork, braided prior to the fight. The regulatory body agreed and required the braids, though Guida said he had no hard feelings over the complaint or the board’s decision.

Instead, it was Maynard who quickly became the heated party.

The fighters traded punches early in the bout, and Guida quickly opened a cut on Maynard’s nose with a dagger-like jab. Guida then maintained his frantic pace through the first two rounds, and Maynard simply couldn’t connect with anything substantial as his opponent darted in and out of range. A late head-kick and punch combo from Guida was the only substantial early action.

In the third round, Maynard came out a bit more aggressively and landed a few punches. After more dancing and Guida takedown defense, though, Maynard threw up his arms in clear frustration and then flipped off his opponent before the round ended.

In the fourth round, Guida again proved elusive, though he complained that Maynard tried to corral him by grabbing his braids. Maynard kept chasing and eventually landed some short punches, and he then trapped Guida against the cage to land knees to the chin. As Maynard hurled expletives, Guida shot for a takedown, escaped a guillotine choke, and then simply smiled as he returned to his corner.

Guida, who initially was the crowd favorite, had the fans turn on him by the final frame. But Guida provided some action and stunned his opponent with a head kick and combo. Maynard landed some blows and finally corralled Guida, who had been warned by referee Dan Miragliotta to engage, but he simply couldn’t connect on anything substantial before the round’s end.

A clearly irrate Maynard refused to shake hands with Guida immediately after the fight, and he was in no better a mood despite the scores: 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 in his favor.

“I thought Guida came to fight,” Maynard said. “I came to fight. I wanted to get bloody and have fun. It was a five-round fight, and I wanted to prove to people I could go a full five.

“I thought I won that fight fair and square with all three judges, but I guess it was a split decision.”

Maynard (11-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC), who fell short in two title shots with then-champ Frankie Edgar, said he hopes his first win in nearly two years keeps him atop the contenders’ list. Guida (29-10 MMA, 9-7 UFC), meanwhile, has lost two straight, which included a November loss to now-champ Benson Henderson in a No. 1 contender’s bout.

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